The present invention relates generally to apparatus for controlling liquid flow rate or volume, and more specifically to such apparatus installed in the channel of a feed tap of a pipe in a water supply system.
Economy has been preached recently under consideration for the environment, in which for water conservation, several kinds of measures have been taken. For example, a municipality distributes top-like water-saving devices for feed taps. The water-saving devices reduces the flow when a tap is turned on half way or less. However, when the tap is turned on wide, it cannot control the flow and the flow of water from the feed tap is extremely changed, and thus it does not have good usability.
The present invention provides a new water conservation apparatus in place of the prior water-saving devices.
According to the present invention, provided is a jet or venturi like flow controller, inside of which are formed a dam chamber damming a stream of water from a feed pipe, a nozzle orifice formed on the wall of the dam chamber and a skirt chamber in a wide-toward-the-end shape connected to and opening into the nozzle orifice.
This flow controller is a type in which the dam chamber dams a water stream from the feed pipe to jet it from the nozzle orifice. A reducer diameter nozzle orifice is preferred to increase the flow speed. Accordingly, the combination of the dam chamber and the nozzle orifice can suppress flow amount to a greater extent. A stream of water jetted from the nozzle orifice is brought together in the jet direction to the deliver direction of the feed tap by the skirt chamber. The skirt chamber has divergent side walls from a nozzle orifice of the darn chamber to the outlet of the skirt chamber. A water stream reduced of the dam chamber and the nozzle. However, the feeling of as strong a flow as before the water-saving apparatus is installed can be obtained because the combination of the nozzle orifice and the skirt chamber add higher speed to the flow. The provided skirt chamber suppresses water-draining noise of the nozzle orifice, resulting in silent flow.
The dam chamber of the flow controller having such function can be in a bowl-like (wine glass-like) shape (having a good damming ability), on the bottom of which the nozzle orifice is formed, or in a cone shape tapering down toward the nozzle orifice (having good machinability). Also the skirt chamber can be in a bowl-glass-like (wine glass-like) shape having the bottom leading to the nozzle orifice or in a wider-to-the-end shape of a cone shape gradually opening wider from the nozzle orifice (suitable material having good machinability is used). A spiral groove can be formed on the wall(s) of one or more of the dam chamber, nozzle orifice and skirt chamber. This adds torsion to the water stream, acting advantageously for the feeling of strong flow.
The flow controller can have a outside shape consisting of a tube that can be fit into a swing discharge pipe provided on the discharge opening of the feed tap, and a jaw in an overhanging form provided on the outer surface of the tube and engaged on the end face of the swing discharge pipe. The jaw, for example, can be sandwiched between a step-wise surface in the discharge opening of the feed tap and the end face of the swing discharge pipe. In this embodiment, the dam chamber, nozzle orifice and skirt chamber are formed in the tube. Further, in this embodiment, it is preferable that a square edge of the top end of the tube on the opening side of the skirt chamber is chamfered or a groove in a recess is provided on the root of the jaw on the outer surface of the tube. The chamfer machined on the top end of the tube forms a clearance for turbulent flow, being able to suppress noise of vibration. Further the groove on the root of the jaw forms a clearance in the case where the swing discharge pipe is deformed, ensuring mounting the jaw on the more or less deformed pipe, helping prevent leakage of water. In addition, it is possible to fit a packing into this groove to further improve the water-blocking ability.
It is also possible to fit both or one of an ionized member made of titanium oxide or the like and an activated member made of far infrared reinforced ceramic or the like into the dam chamber for use. Further, the ionized member and the activated member can be fit also into the nozzle orifice.